A haunting final selfie taken by two British Gujarati families moments before they boarded doomed Air India flight AI171 has emerged, as grief spreads across London’s Gujarati community.

The aircraft, which crashed just after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday morning, is believed to have killed 241 of the 242 people on board.

Among the dead were Sayedmiya Inayatali, 48, his wife Nafisabanu, 46, and their children Waqueeali, 25, and Taskin, 22, who were returning to the UK after visiting family in India. The family had sent a joyful photograph to relatives, including Shahid Vhora, 52, in Wembley, shortly before boarding. “They were so happy to be coming home,” he told Metro. “I was preparing to pick them up at Gatwick, then nothing.”

In another tragic loss, doctors Komi Vyas and Prateek Joshi had taken a final selfie with their three children, Nakul and Pradyut (both 5), and daughter Miraya (8). The family was en route to start a new life in the UK. Komi had recently resigned from her position in Udaipur to join her husband in London.

The crash has left the north-west London Gujarati community in mourning, with 20 victims reportedly linked to the same temple — the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow. Spiritual leader Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji called it a “huge loss”, saying he personally knew many of those who perished. He also revealed that a couple killed in the crash had previously lost their only son in a separate air tragedy in France.

The sole survivor, Viswashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, managed to escape from seat 11A. His sibling, seated across the aisle in 11J, died in the explosion. Viswash has described feeling as if the plane “came to a standstill” mid-air before the crash, noting that cabin lights flickered moments before impact.

A video circulating online showed the plane descending at an unusually high nose angle with its landing gear still deployed, suggesting possible mechanical failure. Investigators are examining various leads, including thrust imbalance, flap malfunction, and whether a power failure occurred.

India’s aviation regulator has ordered immediate safety inspections across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet. The government is also reviewing the airline’s maintenance protocols as questions arise over systemic lapses.

Among others who died was Panna Nagar, a respected former headteacher of Northfleet Nursery School in Kent. The school remembered her as a devoted leader who served for over 15 years.

As more tragic stories unfold, survivors, families, and communities continue to seek answers — and accountability — for one of the deadliest air disasters in recent Indian aviation history.